Towel-holder



No. 626,089. Patented May 30, I899. R. M. PANCOAST. TOWEL HOLDER.

lication filed June 6, 1896.)

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD M. PANCOAST, CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

' TOWEL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,089, dated May 30, 1899. Application filed Julie 5, 1896. Serial No. 594,535. (No model.)

To all whom it map/ concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. PANCOAST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

My invention relates to devices for holding towels or napkins or similar articles; and its object is to provide a simple and'inexpensive contrivance which shall be easily manipulated, efficient in operation, impossible to get out of order, and neat in appearance.

. .Various devices of this class have been proposed heretofore in the nature of clamps, hooks, or the like, and some of them are in use. tute for these in which all springs or clamps or teeth are done' away with, the holding action being due entirely to the weight of the towel or other article acting upon the pecul-.

iarly-shaped parts of my holder.

In brief the invention consists in a tubular tapering case open on the under side," a loose retainer adapted to wedge itself in the lower end of the case, a guard connecting the retainer with the case, and a screw-eye or other means for suspending the case. The corner or edge of the towel is wrapped around the retainer, which is then dropped into the case. By pulling the towel downward the retainer is wedged tightly in place and the towel is securely held.

Several modifications of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a holder in use. Fig. l is an end view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same holder. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar sections of slightlymodified forms of cases. Fig. 5 shows a different kind of guard. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a similar section of a modification. Figs. 8 and 9 show further modifications in the shape of the case.

My invention aims to provide a substimade obtuse and less likely to catch.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a Hat case with a flat retainer.

The case A is preferably made of sheet metal pressed into shape, though it may be made of any suitablematerial, such as cast metal. It is substantially a frusto-conical tube,preferably circularin cross-section,open on one side and having its larger end cut off on an incline, so as to make two flat bearing edges between the points a a. Above and below these points the edge of the case is rounded oif, forming an upper curve a and lower curves a At or near the middle of the upper curve is attached a suspending device, preferably a screw-eye B, engaging loosely a hole a in the case. The u pper curve a permits the case to hang freely on the screw-eye, with its bearing edges on a restingsquarely against the wall or other support, into which the screw-eye is inserted. When a staple B is used instead of a screw-eye, the upper curve a may be omitted. The lower curves a prevent the case from marring the support, as might be ,the'case if the corners of the case were left sharp, as shown at 0. Fig. 2. The lower end or nose of the case may be cut off square; but it is preferably cut on a slight incline, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the towel may hang straight down and to facilitate the removal of the towel. Moreover, if

the corner a is square it will tend to catch in the towel on removal; but by cutting the end of the case on an incline the oorner'a. is It may be rounded off slightly, but not too much,since any considerable removal of material there would let the retainer drop out. If desired,

the corner of the case may be slightly curved.

down, as shown in Fig. 3, or turned down to cover the end of the case, as in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. This construction is advisable when the case is slotted for the use of a rod D, because the curved nose strengthens the case, otherwise weakened by the slot. In some instances the case may be made quite long, as in Figs. 8 and 9, or flat with side flanges a, as in Figs. 10 and 11.

If the case is made of sheet metal, it may be light enough to yield somewhat, so that a thick towel may be drawn well to the end and hang as far out as a thin one. In this case it is necessary to have the guard of a length less I I vent it from being pulled. entirely through attached tothe retainer for preventing its withdrawal and loss; and means for support p the towel.

than that of the case,'so as to limit the dis tance the retainer can be drawn out to prethe nose of. the case.

The retainer is preferably spherical and may be made ofany suitable material-such as, wood, metal, glass, rubber, or the likethough I prefer wood on account of the ease with which it can: be attached to the guard and because it is lesslikely to stain or injure p p p p The retaineris of sucha'size that while it readily enters the upper end of the I easeit will wed geitself in the nose of the case.

In Figs. and 11 the retainer is a fiat but- I ten 0. The retainer isattached'to the case by a guard, which is preferably flexible, like the chainD,Figs, 2 3, 4, 10, and 11, though it maybe a rod,'as at D, Figs. 5, 6,7, 8, and I? 9. W heu'a'chain isused, it may be conveniently attached to, the screw-eye B. When a rod isused, it is passed through a lon'gitudi-' I nal slot alin the case'and is provided with a head (Ito keep it from, slipping out. The slot permits the retainer to be moved freelyin all directions. A less desirable construction is shown in Fig.1 7, in which the rod is jointed to the screw-eye andthe retainer-slides loosely onthe rod, being kept from slippin'g'off by a I a head (1' at the lower endofthe rode I I I Inoperation thecorneror ed go of the towel, napkimor other article is wrapped around or backward jerk will dislodge the retainer from the case and free the towel. Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A towel-holder consisting of a conical casemadeof sheet metal, having OPGIIGIldS' and an opening along one side; aretarneu movable'longitudina-lly in the case; a guard ing the case at 2. Atowel-holder consisting of a tapering case having open ends and an "opening along one'side; a retainer movable longitudinally in thecase; a guardattaehed to the retainer for preventing its withdrawal and loss; and

means for supporting the case; i theedgesof the opening ofone endofthe case being cut away adjacent the point of support, whereby the case can beheld in an obliqueposition whenin use; in substance as set forth. I I The combination .in a toWel-l1o1der,of a

tapering ease having open ends; a retainer movable 'inthe case; a guardattached to the retainer for preventing its Withdrawal and loss; and a screw-eye attached to the case'at' the upper end for supporting the said case;

one enldof' the case having the edges of the opening substantially oblique to the longi' tudinal axis of the case and providedwith rounded corners; in substanceasset forth.

4. Atowel-holder having a slot larger at the upper end than at the lowcrend;aspher ical retainer adapted to movelongitudinally in the holder and wedge with the towel into the smaller-end; an eye at'the upper end of** I I the holder for supporting it'in positionwhen I in use; and a chain, one end of which is attached to the retainer and the other end suit ably secured for preventing the loss of the retainer; in substance as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD M. PANCOAS'I.

W itnesses:

JONAS S. MILLER, PHILIP SCHMITZ. 

